Machine for treating fibrous plants.



B. 0. MUDGE. MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.30, 1907.

8 SHEBTB-SHEET 1.

Patented De0. 1,1908.

i q ff favenzfor Benjamin 0..Mudge Witl wsse s (2% w gum Attorney B. 0. MUDGE.

MACHINE FOR TREATING PIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.30, 1907.

Patnted Dec. 1, 1908.

8 SHEETBBHEET 2.

lfwerztor 'Ber ojamin CMud qe .By

Witnesse CAIWZWL W.CW

' Azforizey B. G. MUDGE.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.30, 1907.

Patentd Dec. 1, 1908.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses C W L I flaw fltornegy B. c. MUDGB. MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.30, 1907.

905,345. K Patented Dec. 1,1908.

5% Q 3% w Q? Q k Qg R a Q Q 0 I I I u I q 7 Q \Q Q N fl. xv}

Q: 0 Q Q I Wwzesses Jim/6722607 M I B j in CY Mud qe 2; By 4itorney B. G. MUDGE.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION IILBD 00130, 1907.

905,345. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Q a SHEETS-SHEET s. R M Q I Q Q N- N N g x 3. 0. MUDGE. MACHINE FOR TREATING PIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.30, 1907.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

\ 84SHEETS-SHEET 6.

- i I Jim/enter Benjam m (IA/Helge Attorney Witnesses CM A 9%. CW

B. c. MUDGE. MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

- APPLIOATION FILED OOT.30, 1907. 905 34 Patented Dec. 1

8 SHEETSSHEET 7.

Jhvenzfor BepjdminG/lludge Aizforne y B. C. MUDGE. MAGHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.30, 1907.

Patented B601, 1908.

QQR

wjjizvento r 7 Benjamin C. Madge Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMlN o. MUDGE, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOIOXFORD LINEN MILLS, or NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

] m roa TREATING Fnanous PLANTS;

No. 905,345. Y

i whomtt may cohcem Be it known thatI, BENJAMIN C. Moron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines'for'Treating Fibrous Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates .to machines for treatingfibrous plants such as flax, hemp and similar-growths, for separating said plants into their component parts preparatoryto their use in the industrial arts.

The object of my improvements is to fur-.' nish a machine into wh1ch the flax plants as gathered in the field, maybe delivered, and which in one continuous operation will deseed "and defibrate the plants thus separating them into their various'commercial components, as seed, fiber and shives. As com- .monly practiced these several'results are in part' accomplished in several different places respectively and by a variety of distinct means. For instance the seed is threshed In or nearithe field where the plant is grown, then the deseededstalks are transported to a mill where the larger and coarser portions of the straw are removed from the fiber, then the more or less shive loaded fiber isagain transported to another mill where. it is further cleaned and made more or less available for use in spinning'a'ndso forth. However,

even with the large variety ;of machines newv the fiber a greater proportion of the shive high commercial value.-

I elements-than have heretofore-been removed -by any means. within my wledge.

. In the drawings accompanyingthis fication is illustrated'one embodiment, and' which may bethe preferred embodiment, of

my improvements. Therein Figures1 1,'2 and, 3 taken consecutivel represent a sectional- The partial side elevation of sai machine. section-of Fig.- 1 is taken on line 700, 700 of Fig. The section --of Fig. 2 is taken on line 800, 800 of Fig. 5. Thesection of Fig.

, Specification 0! Letters Patent. Application filed October 80,1907. Serial No. 899,810.

thereby produce fiber of great eleanl ifness; a

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

3 is taken on line 900, 900 of Fig. 6. Figs. 4, 5 and 6, taken consecutively, represent a i plan view partly in section of said machine. Fig. .5 is shown with cover 100, toothed roll 94 and door 103 removed. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showingthe means for actuating those parts shown in the sectional elevation of Fi .2. Fig. 8 is-a diagrammatic elevation s owingthe means for actuatin the parts shown in the sectional elevation oi Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is vasectional elevation on line 500, 500 of Fig? 4. Fig. 10 is a sectional 'eleva-. tion on line 600,600 of .Fig. 4.

For convenience of description I have divided the machine \malytic'ally into several elements but it will-be understoodwthat the; I

material to be operated upon passes automatically and consecutively through all these elements in acontinuous process. .These elements I'havecalled the 'deseeding mechanism, 1, 4, 9 and 10, the prima deshiving mechanism, Figs. 1 and 4, the s redding mechanism,- Figs. 2, 5 and 7 and the refiningmechanism, Figs. 3, 6 and 8.

Deseedz'ng mchamsm.This mechanism, Figs. 1, 4, 9 and 10 comprises seed strip ing means as brush rolls 9, 10 laid. oblique to r the line of travel of the stalks to be deseeded. Upper brush 9 is. mounted for rotation in suit-able bearings i1, '12 on frames 29 and 4 respectively. Lower brush 10 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearin s on frames 6 and 4 respecti'vely. Said brus TOllS are geared together at 15 and upper roll 9 is provided witha ulleyl6' which' 'm'ay be driven by beltl8 ig. ;.1,.from any suitable source of p wer.' 7'

For conveying the stalksbetween and past brush rolls'9,,10;an endless conveyer belt'17 provided. ,S aid fbelt mounted upon 'and carried by roll lfiija't oheend and .roll 19 at the other end. Power issu-ppliedfor driving sstidibeltthrough roll.; 1 ereinaf ter de'-' scribed. --An auxiliary elt '20 ls pro- -,vided to support fthe I ds .of the stalks before'they pass into enga ement with stripping rolls .9, 10. Said'be t 20 'issupported atoneend' and driven by roll 19. and'issup ported at the other endby roll--.21'.; -'=."1Rol ls 18, Ha 2 a e p o ei r hpp ed in ui b frames .5, 3- .and" .6v "respectively. For he ding thestal ks securely. uponbelt. 17

duringithe' operationrof; deseeding, a pressure belt '22 supported. rolls 23, 24 is provided. Forurging the working run of; said belt '22 downwardly a series of pressure rolls, 25, 25, 25 is employed. These rolls and end rolls 23, 24 are pivotally supported in frames 26, 27 depending from bridge frames 28, 29. Rolls 23, 24 and 25-may be spring supported ifdesired so as always to exert a substantially uniform pressure on belt 22. Such sliowing is however omitted in the present drawings in the interest of simplicity. The upper or angles to thelr present direction of travel, to r the next succeeding mechanism.

Primary deshz'vz'ng mechanism. -For delivering the deseeded stalks from conveyer belt 17 to the primary deshiving mechanism a relatively short transfer belt 32 located adjacent to,'but .at right .anglesto the de-- livery end of belt 17, is provided. The upper or working run of said belt 32 travels in a direction away from and at a greater speed than said belt v17. Belt 32 is supported'on suitable rolls pivoted in frames 4, 5. Forward roll 34 of said pair of rolls has gear 35 fixedto shaft 36 thereof and said gear 35 is driven by gear 37'inmesh therewith.

. Upper feed belt 33 cotiperates with lower feed belt 32 to grip and feed the deseeded stalks from belt 17 to rolls.40, 41. Said belt 33 is supported at its forward-end by roll 38 \fixed on shaft 39Tt0. which-is fixed gear 37.

The rearward end :ofbelt 33 is carried 'on roll 42 pivotally'supported in the rearward ends of arms 43, 44,- The forward endsrof said'arms are. pivoted on'shaft 39. By this arrangement arms"4'3', 44, roll 42 and the rearward portion of belt.,33 are adapted to kiscillate upwardly and downwardly about I shaft'39 as an axis. Saidoscillation is effect- ,edby the following means. On shaft45 pivotally supported in the lower part of frames4, 5 and-in floor bracket 46,-are fixed. 'fcams' 47-,-48.-.'" For engagement with said eams rolls 49, 50 respectively are provided.

Roll 49 is pivotally supported on the free .end of-lever.5 1].pivoted at 52- toframe 5.

Link 53 conneotslever 51 witharm 43. Roll 50 is similar lvmounted and connected on the other side of the machine; By thege means arms 43, '44,."roll 42 and theirear portion of belt 33lrna yjbe rn'ovedfup-an'd down inf-ac itordanee :witliI'Tthe profile of duplicate cams 47, 48... Said cams are timed to'give one complete oscillation to belt 33 for -each -passing increment'station? as 1700. of belt 17. Power 1s communicated to shaft by the following means. On shaft 36 is fixed sprocket 54 from which chain 55 transmits power to sprocket 56 on shaft 57. Said shaft 57 isimounted for rotation in frame 5 andbracket 7 outstanding therefrom. From pulley 58 on shaft 57 belt 59 transmits power to pulley 60 on shaft 45. Power is communicated to roll 18 through miter gear 61 fixed to the shaft thereof and which gear meshes with miter gear 62 on shaft 57. The relative sizes of sprockets 54 and 56 are such that the surface speed of belt 32 is twice that of belt 17. y

The primary deshiving mechanism comprises vertically arranged and horizontally successive pairs of crushing rolls preferably having lengthwise grooves and ribs thereon and which grooves and ribs decrease in size from pair to pair of said rolls. Also the members of each pair of rolls are so timed that a rib of one roll is opposite a groove of the other roll after the manner of intermeshing gear teeth. Also the successive pairs of rolls are staggered so that the plant stalks are bent sharply upwardly or downwardly as the case may'be 1n assing, from one pair of rolls to the next pair. For instance rolls 64, 65 have their zone of coaction materially .higher than that of rolls 40, 41 while rolls 66, 67 have their zone of,coaction materially lower than that of rolls 64, '65. Another feature of this primary deshiving mechanism is an endwise movement of roll 66 coa. cross rubbing action is had on the stalks as they pass between rolls 66 and 67. This by means of cam 63 fixed on frame 4 concentric with roll' 66. :The hub of said roll is provided with cam rolls 70, 71 for engagement with said cam. Also at the oppo- 7 3 is fixed to frame5 and 1s engaged by cam rolls as 74 on roll 66. It is apparent that the ribs of roll 66 or of both 66 and67 may be roughened or grooved 'circumferentially to increase the cross rubbing effect on the Also it is apparent that other or all the rolls of the train may be similarly supplied with endwise movement if desired. Said rolls 40, 41, 64, 65 and so forth are. mounted for as fixed, but itisapparent that the mempower may be communicated by theusual belt not shown. Adjacent to said pulley site end of said roll 66 complementary cam 1 rotation in suitable earings in frames 4, 5

and for simpliclty sa1 d bearings are shown bers of the several pairs may be mounted adby the following means. iDn the outboard .endzof shaft 75 is fixed pulley 72 to which.

incident with its rotary movement whereby endwise movement is imparted to said roll crushed and partly deshived plant stalks.

' driven by and also fixed shaft 75 gear 76 meshing .on the one hand with gear 85 of lower roll 69 and on the other handwith gear 83 of lower roll 67.'* Intermediate. gear 77 on shaft 86 transmits" ower from gear 83 to ear 81, of lower r0 65ard to gear 79 of ower roll 41. Upper roll 68 has-its gear;

through the further mechanism of the machine, and discharges the bulk of the. shives. This mechanism comprises arelatively large toothed cylinder within a suitable casing and one or more fixed combs and one or more rotary combs or toothed rolls for operating upon the partly cleaned stalks'that are rap'- idly carried around by the toothed cylinder. Said cylinder is represented at90 Figs. 2 and 5 and has teeth 91 projectingfi'om the peripherythereof at suitable intervals. Said cylinder is mounted for rotationin suitable hearings in side walls 88,89 of the ,inclosing case. .Fixed comb 92 having teeth 93 is mounted on side. walls, 88, 89 so that said teeth project into the zone .of rotation of cyl 'inder teeth 91. Also rotatably mounted in iside walls 88, 89 above said cylinder 90. are' toothed rolls or rotary combs 94, 95 for co-.

' action with said'cylinder as the stock is car-' ried around thereon. The stockisfed from the primary deshiving mechanism 'to said shredding mechanism bymeans of feed rolls- 96 97 preferably corrugated lengthwise;

' Said rolls are revolubly mounted in side passage of the fiber portions thereof. Said.

. frames 4, 5 and are geared together by gears 98, 99 respectively. P Wer-iscommunicated thereto by means of intermediate gear 87 meshing on the one side with lower. roll gear 85 and on the other withgear 99-oflo wer feed roll 97. The upper portion 100. of the inclosing case, covers in main cylinder 90, toothed rolls 94, 95 and formsareceiving chamber .105 into which the fiber is charged after treatment in thisjpartof the machine. The bottom 101' ofsaid-case is formed concentric-with cylinder 90 and --is perforated to allow thepassagerof theshive' portions of the stock while preventing the .shivejportions fall into chamber 102 below screen 101 and" are conveyed away by any suitable means such as exhaust-fan 1030.

;A door 103.18, Provided, whenop-ened, '(see i dotted position 104 Fig.2) to allow the passage ofthe fiber after treatment into receiving chamber105. Therein table 106 hevin'g respectively.-

a toothed delivery eldge receives the fiber. Any. loose ends tendi to remain in the cylinder. chamber may e assisted onto table 106 by means of roll 107. Delivery roll 108 having suitable teeth for coaction with the teeth of table 106, isprovided to comb 01f and feed the fiber downwardly from table 106. A dofler 109 frees said fiber from roll 108 and delivers it to transfer belt 110. Av

small roll 111 is provided to assist the proper delivery of said fiber to the conveyer belt.

Large cylinder 90 has .fixed'to shaft 116 thereof pulley 112 which maybe driven by a belt not shown. Roll 94 is provided with a pulley 113 to which power is communicated by belt 114 from pulley 115 on' shaft I 11601 cylinder 90. Pulley ll3 being of suiiicient width of face, belt '117 ,theregncon veys power to pulley 118'of roll '95. Door 103; is caused to open and close at proper tervals by the following means. Said door is fixedio. pivotal shaft 119 mounted in side walls 88, 89 and on the near outboard end I of said shaft is fixed crank arm 121 (Fig. 7).

On shaft 122 mounted for rotation inside jwal89 and bracket 123 are fixed cam 124 an is driven by gear 126 on feed roll shaft 120.

far. 125. Said gear meshes withand Swinging arm '127 pivoted at 128 in. side wall 89 bears at its free end roll 129 form gagement with cam 124. Swinging arm 127 is connected to crank arm..121 by 130.

Roll 107 is pivotallymounted in side walls.

88, 89 and bears on its rear outboard end (Fig. 5) gear 131, small pulley 132 large pulley 133." By means -of belt 134 power is communicated from pulley 135 oumaincy1-- inderj shaft'116 to pulley 133. 'Deliveryroll I 108 is pivotally supported inside walls'88, 89 I and has on the near outboard endof its shaft 136', ulley 137 to which poweris communicate from pulley 132 by means of crossed ed to'cran'k pin 141 on ear 142 by meansof link143. .Gear 142 on s aft-144 meshes with and is driven by gear-131'. On the rear out-. board end of shaft 144. is fixed gear 145 belt 138. 'Dofler shaft 139 has arm 140 fixed I to its outboard end and said arm is connectwhich. through intermediate gear 146., drives gear 147 on shaft 148 of roll 111. Said gear 147 also meshes With and drives gear 1480 on shaft 149 of apron roll 150. Transfer belt 110 is supportedat its delivery end by roll 1'51'pivoted in side frames 15 8, 159.

cylinroll, from-the entrance (and of this ortion of. my'improved machine, andthe distance of adjacent rows from each other also decreases in the same manner. These features are apparent in the drawings (Figs; 3 and Refining 'mec'kan ism.,-This mechanism comprises a series of-coact-ing re ders and transfer rolls having metalhcteeth arranged in circumferential ro'ws thereabout The spacinglof the teethin pthe rows'decreases in distance'from rollto 6) but for clearness of illustration such showing is greatly exaggerated over actual practice. A special feature of this div ision rolls respectively.

of the machine is the scraper rolls situated below and for coaction with the refining 'A' refining cylinder, scraper roll and transfer roll comprise one element in'this division and itis apparent that saidelements may be increased or decreased in number according, to specific needs. The. last cylinder of this refining mechanism is in the nature of a dofi'er cylinder and the refined fiber is stripped therefrom by the usual dofi'er 167.

Adjacent to the delivery end of transfer belt 110 are small feed rolls 152, 153. Succeeding these, running at the same surface speed andsuitably located relative to first refining cylinder 157, to deliver the fiber thereto, are'self-stripping feed rolls 154, 155. Below feed roll 155 is located lickerin 156 for wiping. the fiber securely onto cylinder I I 157. Said cylinder 157 rotates in the direction of its teeth inclination and has a surface speed greater, preferably about four times, than feed rolls 154, and lickerin 156 has a surface speed greater than said feed rolls but less than said cylinderf Below cylinder 157 is scraper roll 158 for loosening up and scraping off the smaller shives that may still be attached to the fiber. This roll .is provided with a plurality of longitudinal blades and is driven at a relatively moderate speed in a direction opposite at their point of coaction to that of said cylinder so that every portion of the fiber on said cylinder is worked by said roll in passing. Transfer roll 159 has hooked teeth and travels in the same direction at their point of coaction butisomewhat faster than cylinder 157, whereby the fiber is removed 160 is provided with scrapin roll 161 there-.

under running in the same d rection at their point of coaction but at a considerably greater speed than said cylinder 160. Transenroll-162 rotatesin the opposite direction at the point of coaction therewith, to cylinder 160 and strips the fiber therefrom, and inthe same 'directionbut faster than and thereby against the teeth of cylinder 163, whereby said transfer roll 162 will deliver its burden of'fiber to said cylinder 163. Cylinder 163 is provided with scraping roll 164 thereunder,.running in the same direction at the point of coaction therewith and at a much greater surface speed. Transfer'roll 165 rotates in the opposite direction, at the point of coaction therewith, to cylinder'163, thereby lifting the fiber therefrom. Said transfer roll runs 'in the same direction at its point of coaction therewith, as dofi'er cylinder 166 but slower, whereby said transfer roll delivers its burden of fiber to said dofiing cylinder, which runs in a direction opposite to the direction of its teeth inclination. Doifer 167 oscillating through a small are about its axis 168 coaets with said dofier cylinder to doif off the fiber therefrom.

While for-simplicity of illustration the cylinders, feed, transfer and scraper rolls are shown as mounted in fixed bearings, it is customary in practice to mount said cylinders and rolls relatively adjustable. As suitable-means for such adjustment are well known in the art and form no part of the present improvements, they are omitted. Said cylinders. and rolls of this refining mechanism are pivotally mounted in side frames 1580, 1590 and are actuated from shaft 17 0 by several trains of gearing as follows: I will first describe those trains of gears which are on the rearward side of the machine (upper side of Fig. 6), see Figs. 6 and 8. Shaft 170 has cylinder 160 fixed thereon and on its rearward outboard end pulley 171 and gear 172 are fixed. Power may be supplied to said pulley by the usual beltnot shown. Gear 172 through interme diate gear 173 drives gear 174 fixed to shaft 175 of cylinder 157. Gear 174 through intermediate gear 176 drives gear 177 fixed to shaft 179 of scraper roll 158. Also said gear 174 through intermediate 180 drives .gear 181 fixed to shaft 182 of upper feed roll 154. Gear 183 of lower feed roll 155 meshes above with said gear. 181 and below with intermediate gear 184 which gear in turn meshes 1 with gear 185 of small lower feed roll 153. Small upper feed roll 152 is driven through its gear 186 in mesh with gear 185 (Figs. 2, 5, .6, 7 and 8). Gear 187 fixed to the rear end of shaft 188 of transfer roll 162 meshes with gear 189 fixed to shaft 190 of cylinder 163. Said shaft 188 is driven from pulley shaft 170 by gearing on the front of the machine'to be hereinafter described. Said shaft 190 also has fixed thereto, outboard gear 189, gear 191 meshing with gear 192 fixed to shaft 193 ofscrapmg roll 164.

I will now describe those trains of gears on the front of'the machine. On the forward end (lower end Fig. 6) of pulley shaft 170 are fixed gears 194, 195. Gear 194 through intermediate 196 drives gear 197 fixed to shaft 188 of transfer roll 162. Gear meshes with gear 198 fixed to shaft 199 of scraper roll 161. Gear 200 fixed to front end of shaft 190 of cylinder 163, through intermediate 201 drives gear 202 fixed to shaft 203 of transfer roll 165. Outboard gear 202 on shaft 203 is fixed gear 204 which meshes with gear 205, fixed to shaft of doifer roll 166. Said gear 205 also meshes with small gear 207 fixed to sleeve 209 of large 1 1 laid. on the entrance end of. elt 17 (Figs. 4

and 9) and with their seed bearing ends on 'auxiliary belt 20. Said stalks are preferably provided in a suflicient quantityt'o suitably fill the space between adjacent spacing pieces 31, 31; Said stalks 5 are carriedforwardly on said belt '17 andpresently pass under upper belt 22. Said belts 17, 22 by the aid of rolls 30, 30, 25, 25 tightly gripthe plant stalks and carry them onwardly thereby passing their seed bearing ends between brush rolls 9, 10. Said brush rolls strip the" seeds therefrom beginning with those portions of the seed area of the stalks more remote from the tops thereof and by the inclined position of said brushrolls finishing with the tips of the stalks. Continuing their progress the now deseeded stalks pass.

out from under belt 22 and are carried onward by-belt 17. The deseeded ends of the stalks pass onto transfer belt 32, upper or gripping belt 33being then in its raised po-' sition (Fig. 1). When all of the ends of this particular increment of stalks lying between adjacent spacingpieces 31, 31 have passed onto belt 32, cam-rolls 49, 50 drop into depressed portions of their respective cams 47, 48 and upper belt 33 thereby is quickly lowered onto the 1 leading ends of said stems which are thus gripped between the direction of their length, at right angles to their previous direction on belt 17 and at double their former speed. Said stalks are now carried onwardlybetween-belts 32, 33 a ndtheir leading ends delivered into "the-bite of crushing rolls 40,41.- At the same time cam rolls 47, 48 pass to high parts of their respective cams and therearward' end of belt 33 is lifted for the reception thereunder of the next succeeding increment .of deseeded stalks. After passing between'rolls 40, 4a; and being primarily crushed and bent ba. and forth by the relatively largeribs and grooves: of said rolls the stalks pass, sharply upwardly into the bite of rolls 64, 65. .By this sharplynpward bending, such relatively large shive portions as may have been loosenedv by rolls 40, 41 are crowded out and have relatively smaller ribs and grooves than the respective members of previous,

pairs of rolls, said stalks are more-minutely treated thereby. Also. by the endwise reciprocation of upper roll 66 a cross-rubbing shives are further discharged, and into .the

bite of rolls 68, 69. Said rolls have ribs and grooves smaller and said rolls are closer together than rolls 66, 67 just preceding. 7 By.

means of said rolls, 68, 69 the remaining shives are more minutely broken andloosened.-' The stock passes thence between feed rolls 98, 99 and is delivered to the shredding mechanism. I Here it is driven around at high speed by toothed cylinder 90 and is shredded and beaten by toothed rolls 94,

and by teeth 93- of comb 92 .as said stock is cylinder 90. Any shive portions thatnhave been carried over with the fiber into this mechanism arethus beaten and combed out openings thereof, and are carried away by carried against and past them by toothed "and fall onto screen 101 and-through the I exhaust fan. 1030. The openings in screen 101 are insuflicient in size to permit the passage of the fiber therethrough.

n will be understood that the stock has been proceeding through the machine thus far. in increments, as determined by the intermittentdelivery from belt 17. Therefore. any oneincrement of stock mayland said belt and belt 32 and fed onwardly inf d increment of-stock is presented for delivery thereto. Thus by suitably spacing and tim: ing the movement of the stock 1n the ceding portions of the machine, sufiiclent.

time is given. for the thorough treatment thereof by the shredding mechanism. Just, prior to the delivery by feed rolls 96, 97 of.

the next succeeding increment of stock, door V 103 is opened an the increment of; sto0 k being treated by the shredding mechanlsm 1s discharged by centrifugalforce 'into receiv--' ing chamber 105, and onto table'106 and delivery roll 108. Small roll 107 assists in the discharge of any loose ends of the fiber that may be dilatory in their ex1t.; Discharge roll 108 feeds the fiber downwardly from the toothed edge "of table 106 and said stock is combed therefrom by. doifer 109 from whence it passes in a continuous web onto con'veyer belt 110. Any tendency of the stock to follow around on roll 10S-is counteracted by. small stripping roll 111. From belt 110 the fiber is delivered into the b te of feed rolls 152, 153 and thence to dellvery rolls 154, 155.- The fiber passes downwardly v over roll 155 and is taken therefrom by large cylinder .57 whisk i s l nk yr ll 156. The fiber is thereby laid between the I'OlVSJOf teeth of said cylinder 157 and the shive portions more or less forced toward the peripheries of the teeth, Said cylinder thenconveys. the fiber to and pastscraper roll 158 by which the projecting shive portions are scraped and brushed off. Said fiber then passes with saidcylinder 157 to transfer roll 159. by which it is removed and delivered-to cylinder 160. As the teeth of said cylinder are finer and the rows thereof more closely arranged than on cylinder 157, the remaining shiveportions are further urged toward the tooth points in position to be acted upon and removed byscraper roll 161 in their passage thereby. The fiber is then transferred from cylinder 160 to cylinder 163 by roll 162. Said cylinder 163 having finer teeth and the rows thereof closer spaced than incylinder 163, those shives still clinging to the fiber are urged outwardly and-are scrapedoif by roll 164 as they pass thereto. By means of transfer roll 165 the now substantially deshive'dfiber is delivered a to doffer roll 166 from which it is dotted by dofi'er comb 167.- a

I claim:

1. In a'machine-for treatingvfibrous plants the combination of a continuously actuated conveyer belt having stations thereon for'the reception of the plant stalks, means for holding said stalks thereon, means for stripping the seeds from said stalks; a series of breaking rolls for separating the shives from the fiber and continuously actuated means for.

intermittently transferring the stalksfrom the conveyer belt to the breakin rolls.

2. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination of a conveyer belt, having stations thereon for the reception of the plant stalks, means for continuously actuatin said belt, means comprising a pressure belt and a series of pressure rolls for holding the plant stalks thereon, means for stripping the seed from the plant stalks while being held on said conveyer belt, means for breaking the stalks to separate the shives from the fiber and continuously actuated means for intermittently transferring the stalksfrom the conveyer belt to the breaking means. p

3. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination of a conveyer belt having stations thereon for the reception of the plant stalks, means forcontinuously actuating said belt, a transfer belt located in substantially the same lane as the conveyer belt but at right angles thereto, a grippmg belt over the transfer belt for coaction therewith and means for" raising and lowering the rearward end of the gripping belt to admit and grip the plant stalks between said transfer and gripping belts and means for continuously actuating said belts.

4. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the eombination of a conveyer belt having stations thereon for the reception of the plant stalks, means for continuously actuating said belt, means for holding the plant stalks thereon, means for stripping the seed from the plant stalks while being held on said conveyer belt; a transfer belt located in substantially the same plane as the conveyer belt but at an angle thereto, a gripping belt over the transfer belt for coaction therewith and means for raising and lowering the rear- Willd'GIld of the gripping belt-to admit and grip the plant stalks between said transfer and gripping belts and means for continuously actuating said belts.

5. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination of a transfer belt and a. gripping belt, means for raising and lowering the rearward end of the gripping belt to admit and grip the plant stalks between said belts while maintaining the coaction of said belts at their forward ends respectively and means for continuously actuating said bolts.

6. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination of a conveyer belt, a pair of continuously actuated coacting belts arranged at right angles to the conveyer belt, means for periodically separating said coacting belts from each other at one end of their zone of coaction while maintaining coaction at the other end of said zone and means for actuating the conveyor belt.

7. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination of a transfer belt and a gripping belt thereover both actuated at one uniform speed, means for raising and lowering the rearward end of the gripping belt relative to the transfer belt; a plurality of pairs of coacting grooved rolls arranged to rceive the lant stalks from the transfer belt, each pair of said rolls having its zone of coaction in a different plane from the zone of coaction of its next adjacent pair, means for actuating the rolls and ineans for imparting endwise movement to one or more of said rolls.

8. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination of a conveyer belt, having stations thereon for the reception of the plant stalks means for actuatln said belt, means for holding the plant stallrs thereon, means for stripping the seed from the plant stalks while being held on said conveyer belt, a plurality of pairs of coacting grooved rolls each pair of said rolls having its zone of coaction in a different plane from the zone of co-action of its next adjacent pair, means for actuating the rolls, means for imparting endwise movement to one or more of said rolls and intermittently 'coacting transfer belts for transferring the plant stalks from the conveyer belt to the coacting grooved rolls and means for Iact uating the transfer belts; w

' 9. In a machine for treating fibrous plants transferring the fiber from one cylinder to.

the combination of a conveyer belt having stations thereon for the reception of the plant stalks, means foractuatmg said belt, means for holding the plant stalks thereon, means for stri ping the seed from the plant stalks while being held on said conveyer belt,-

a transfer belt located in substantially the same plane as the conveyer belt but at an angle thereto, a gripping belt over the transfer belt for coaction therewith andmeans for raising and lowering the rearward end of the gripping belt .to admit and grip the plant stalks between said transfer and gripping belts and means for actuating said belts;

a plurality. of pairs of coacting grooved rolls arranged to receive the plant stalks from the transfer belt, each pair of said rolls having its zone of coaction in'a different plane from the zone of coaction of its next adjacent pair, means for actuating the rolls and means for imparting endwise movement to one or more of said rolls.

10. In amachine. for treating fibrous plants the combination of a containin case, a toothed cylinder and arotarycomb or coaction therewith, means for actuating said cylinder and comb, means for intermittently feeding stock to said cylinder and means for intermittently dischargingl stock therefrom; a table for receiving t e discharged stock, a toothed roll for delivering the stock continuously therefrom and meansfor actuating the toothed roll and means'for removing the stock from said roll. 7

11. In a machine for treating fibrous plants the combination. of a plurality of toothed cylinders having the teeth thereof arranged in circumferential rows and havingthe distance between adjacent rows of teeth on any given cylinder less than said distance on its next preceding cylinder, means for actuating the cylinders, a. transfer roll located between adjacent cylinders for the-next, means for actuating said transfer rolls, a scraper roll adjacent to each toothed cylinder for co-action therewith, means for actuating the scraper rolls and means for removing the fiber. from the last cylinder.

scraper roll adjacent to each therewith, means for actu-f zone of coaction of its next for actuating the rolls,

of coaction in a difi'erent and means for imparting/endwise movement to one or more 0 said rolls; intermittently operative transfer belts for transferring, the plant stalks from the conveyer belt to'the coacting' grooved rollsand means for actuating the transfer belts; a containing case, a toothed cylinder and a comb for coaction therewith, means for actuatin said cylinder, means for intermittently ceding stock to said cylinder and means for intermittently dischar ing stock therefrom; a table he i forreceivin t schargedstock, a toothed roll for de ivering the stock: continuously therefrom, means for actuating the toothed roll and means for removing the stock-from said roll; a plurality of toothed cylinders cu'mferential rows and having t e distance between adjacent rows of teeth on any given cylinderless than said distance on its next preceding cylinder, means for actuating the cylinders, a transfer roll located between adjacent cylinders for transferring having the teeth thereofarran ed in cir-- the .fiber from one cylinder to the next,

means for actuating said transfer rolls, a

der for coaction ating the scra ing the fiber om the last cylinder.

- Signed this twenty-sixth day of October,

toothed "cyliner rolls and means for remov-- nineteen hundred and seven (1907) at 19 Park-row, New York, before two subscribing witnesses.

' BENJAMIN C. MUDGE. Witnesses; v

ELsm C. DUFF. 

